Recaps

At the World Table Tennis Championships, Hook eliminated Bai Feng and Fan Xiaodong routed Morad before Wang Chao faced Bayer. Wang Chao lost the first three games while using the match to practice with his new paddle, and Bayer entered the fourth game convinced that his momentum had made the outcome irreversible.

• Bai Feng won the first game against Hook 11:3, but Hook adapted and won the next two games before Bai Feng took the fourth game to tie the match.
• Hook won the final two games 11:7 and 11:9, eliminating Bai Feng and becoming the first player to reach the men's singles quarterfinals.
• Fan Xiaodong defeated Morad 4:0 in twenty-five minutes, breaking down Morad's unconventional tactics with simple, controlled play.
• Bayer forced Wang Chao to defend throughout the first three games and took them 11:7, 11:6, and 11:5.
• During the break, He Jingping suggested that Wang Chao win a game first, but Wang Chao refused and continued using the match to practice.
• Bayer roared and declared that Wang Chao would leave the championships, believing his attack and the match's momentum had made a comeback impossible.

Wang Chao adapted to Bayer’s attacks and unveiled a new style with his Superconductor racket, then won their match 4:3 after trailing. He thanked Bayer for helping him refine his game and advanced from the round of sixteen.

• Luo Jiu worried about Wang Chao’s chances but resolved that he would defeat him in the final himself.
• Wang Chao attacked Bayer for the first time in the fourth game, using unfamiliar flicks and cuts to take an early lead.
• Wang Chao used the Superconductor racket’s spin and feints to confuse Bayer and won the fourth game 11:1.
• Bayer gradually adapted, but Wang Chao won the next three games 11:3, 11:6, and 11:8 to take the match 4:3.
• Wang Chao thanked Bayer at the handshake, while Bayer mistook the thanks for a gesture of sportsmanship.

Lin Zijun faced Luo Jiu in a highly anticipated Round of 16 match, choosing to let Luo Jiu serve so he could attack while Lin defended. Luo Jiu unleashed a dazzling array of attacks, and Lin Zijun held firm as the first point became a contest of endurance.

• Lin Zijun entered the match nervous but steadied himself, while the crowd overwhelmingly cheered for him.
• Lin Zijun deliberately called the coin toss incorrectly, giving Luo Jiu the serve because he believed Luo Jiu wanted to attack.
• Luo Jiu and Lin Zijun exchanged short pushes until Luo Jiu found an opening and began attacking.
• Luo Jiu varied his loops, placement, spin, and short-pips punches, but Lin Zijun returned every shot.
• Lin Zijun recognized that Luo Jiu wanted a spectacular victory and resolved to defend until Luo Jiu's relentless attacks began to tire.

Luo Jiu and Lin Zijun fought through long rallies, with Lin Zijun using sharp defensive counterattacks to take a 3:1 lead. Luo Jiu recognized weaknesses in his offense and welcomed Lin Zijun as a chance to improve, while Qin Huachang explained that both players had met ideal opponents to sharpen their games.

• Luo Jiu won the opening 27-stroke rally, but Lin Zijun equalized after counterattacking at the end of a 31-stroke exchange.
• Lin Zijun exploited Luo Jiu's positioning with a fast wide-angle shot to take a 2:1 lead, and he began to believe he could win.
• Lin Zijun kept defending against Luo Jiu's attacks and scored again with a counterattack, extending his lead to 3:1.
• Luo Jiu smiled as he recognized the weaknesses Lin Zijun had exposed in his offense.
• Qin Huachang called Lin Zijun Luo Jiu's whetstone and compared their matchup to Bayer helping Wang Chao correct his flaws.

Luo Jiu struggled against Lin Zijun’s relentless defense in the World Table Tennis Championships final, falling behind before adjusting his attacks and taking a point back. As the score reached 2:5, Sun Tianlong identified flaws in Luo Jiu’s approach, and He Jingping prepared to pass along his advice during the next break.

• Lin Zijun defended Luo Jiu’s varied attacks with simple, precise push-blocks and took a 4:1 lead.
• Qin Huachang explained that Luo Jiu had to win because years of setbacks and pressure weighed on him far more heavily than Lin Zijun’s desire to win.
• Luo Jiu recognized his habit of forcing backhand attacks and played more cautiously, breaking through Lin Zijun’s defense to make the score 2:4.
• Lin Zijun countered Luo Jiu’s powerful forehand loop, and Luo Jiu failed to return the ball as the score moved to 2:5.
• Sun Tianlong advised that Luo Jiu should vary his techniques and slow the rhythm, and He Jingping thanked him for the insight.

Luo Jiu lost the first game to Lin Zijun while using long rallies to expose flaws in his attacks, then leveled the match with a sudden spin variation. In the third game, Luo Jiu began attacking at full force, and Lin Zijun called a timeout to prepare for the onslaught, unknowingly choosing exactly the response Luo Jiu wanted.

• Luo Jiu restrained his attacks and won a long rally, but Lin Zijun took the first game 11:8 as Luo Jiu used the exchanges to identify weaknesses in his technique.
• Luo Jiu leveled the match at 1–1 by unleashing a powerful loop with a subtle sidespin variation that Lin Zijun failed to read.
• Jiang Peirong explained the sidespin trick to Lin Zijun, while Lin Zijun and Qin Huachang separately considered what Luo Jiu's sudden attack meant.
• Luo Jiu opened the third game with forceful flicks, loops, and a backhand punch, scoring against Lin Zijun's Super Speed Defense.
• Lin Zijun became alarmed, mistook Luo Jiu's plan for a deliberate attempt to break his mentality, and used his timeout to steady himself before the coming attacks.
• Luo Jiu actually intended to test his attacking power head-on, and Lin Zijun's decision to return in his best state suited that plan.

Luo Jiu used a last-second racket-side switch to disrupt Lin Zijun’s defense, then held off Lin’s attempt to win through offense. The players returned to Luo Jiu attacking and Lin Zijun defending, with the match’s decisive endurance battle still ahead.

• Lin Zijun chose to delay Luo Jiu’s attack with defensive chops, but Luo switched from short pips to inverted rubber and won the point with a heavy backhand twist.
• Lin Zijun kept the next rally short until he found an opening and launched an all-out forehand attack.
• Luo Jiu defended Lin Zijun’s repeated power loops, and Lin’s final shot hit the net, giving Luo another point.
• The two players learned that Lin’s offense could not break through Luo’s defense, so Lin stopped trying to attack first.
• Lin Zijun resumed the short game and allowed Luo Jiu to take the initiative, returning them to an intense attack-versus-defense battle.

Luo Jiu used his quarterfinal match against Lin Zijun to sharpen his attack, eventually winning 4:2 and convincing Lin Zijun that he could defeat Wang Chao. The chapter ended with the remaining men’s singles quarterfinal matchups confirmed for the following morning.

• Luo Jiu kept attacking Lin Zijun head-on, while Qin Huachang explained that Luo Jiu was using the match to strengthen himself for a future encounter with Sun Tianlong.
• Sun Tianlong realized Luo Jiu had been treating Lin Zijun as a training partner and decided to enter intensive training after the World Table Tennis Championships.
• Luo Jiu’s increasingly varied attacks overwhelmed Lin Zijun in the fourth game, giving him a 2:2 tie in the match.
• Lin Zijun deliberately played passively in the final games, and Luo Jiu won the match 4:2; Lin Zijun concluded that Wang Chao could not match Luo Jiu’s attacking power.
• Lin Zijun checked the confirmed quarterfinal matchups: Luo Jiu would face Pike, Lin Li would face Fan Xiaodong, Wang Chao would face Arul, and Hook would face Michel.

On the sixth day of the World Table Tennis Championships, the men’s singles quarterfinals produced a Huaping-heavy semifinal lineup, while the mixed doubles semifinals were set with the Taiwan Island Combination emerging as a serious challenger. The chapter ended with He Jingping’s awkward interview going viral as fans awaited the decisive matches.

• Fan Xiaodong defeated Lin Li 4:1, while Luo Jiu beat Pike 4:0 and Hook beat Michel 4:0.
• Wang Chao swept Arul 4:0 with a highly pragmatic attack, leading Qin Huachang to suggest that Wang Chao no longer needed Arul as a sparring partner.
• The men’s singles semifinals were set as Luo Jiu versus Fan Xiaodong and Wang Chao versus Hook.
• Wang Chao and Tang Yuanyuan, Xian Youwen and Che Songxin, Ichikawa Mima and Niuwa Xiaoxi, and Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing advanced to the mixed doubles semifinals.
• Lin Zijun and Zhen Jing’s transformed defensive-offensive pairing crushed Wang Yu and Gao Mingyuan 4:0, earning strong support as a potential threat to the Tang Dynasty Combination.
• He Jingping told an interviewer that he could not predict a possible Wang Chao–Luo Jiu final, and clips of the exchange became a viral meme while Qin Huachang explained that He Jingping genuinely knew little about their plans.

Wang Chao swept Hook 4:0, fueling speculation that he was warning Luo Jiu ahead of their final, while fans also misread the teammates’ casual lunch as a sign of conflict. The Tang Dynasty Combination won the Mixed Doubles semifinal, and Che Songxin’s suggestion of a cross-association pairing prompted Jiang Peirong to invite Daehan Minguk to team up.

• Wang Chao defeated Hook 4:0 in 21 minutes, using varied attacks and defense to dismantle his opponent’s game.
• Wang Chao, Luo Jiu, and He Jingping ate lunch together, and fans invented rumors of rivalry from their ordinary conversation and gestures.
• Ichikawa Mima and Niuwa Xiaoxi lost 4:0 to the Tang Dynasty Combination, with Niuwa Xiaoxi saying they had achieved their goal of winning a medal.
• Lin Zijun’s Taiwan Island Combination defeated the Daehan Minguk pair 4:2, while Che Songxin criticized her partner and suggested she might challenge the Tang Dynasty Combination alongside Lin Zijun.
• Jiang Peirong later emailed the Daehan Minguk Table Tennis Association to invite them to form a cross-association team.

Fan Xiaoxian anxiously watched the World Table Tennis Championships final as Wang Chao and Luo Jiu began a fiercely competitive match. Wang Chao took the opening point, and the chapter left the two fellow disciples poised for an ultimate duel.

• Fan Xiaoxian avoided Qin Huachang’s livestream and watched the final alone, fearing Luo Jiu might lose to Wang Chao.
• Spade Q’s understaffed lineup faced Jiangcheng University without Fan Xiaoxian, while Wu Li’s recent intensive training had restored his strength.
• Spade Q’s players reported that Geng Shuai lost his match, but Wu Li won both his singles match against Duan Changying and the doubles with Tian Zhengguang.
• Wang Chao won the serve after Luo Jiu called the coin toss, and the two opened the final with a rally full of deceptive spins, precise counters, and shifting rhythms.
• Wang Chao used Great Python Turn to force Luo Jiu into an extreme counterattack, and Luo Jiu’s return went off the table, giving Wang Chao the first point.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu exchanged a nod of respect, while Qin Huachang excitedly promised to analyze the match as their duel continued.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu traded intricate variations in a high-level final, with Luo Jiu adapting first to seize the second point and even the score at 1:1. Qin Huachang explained that both players were already fighting all-out, and prepared for the long effort of commentating on their duel.

• Wang Chao opened the second point with short pushes and a proactive flick, and Luo Jiu answered with a forehand loop before both players exchanged rising-ball attacks and seamless transitions.
• Luo Jiu exploited Wang Chao’s fast carry with a power loop, then changed to a wide-angle chop to disrupt Wang Chao’s balance.
• Wang Chao used a difficult backhand banana flick to return deep, but Luo Jiu’s full-power loop forced a high, crude ball and left Wang Chao at a disadvantage.
• Wang Chao stayed near the table as Luo Jiu chose another full-power loop, sent the ball past him, and tied the score at 1:1.
• Qin Huachang described the players’ constant tactical calculations and told Zhenyu to prepare another kettle of herbal water for his commentary.

Luo Jiu used a carefully rehearsed prediction to counter Wang Chao’s blazing return and take a 3:2 lead in the first game. The commentators concluded that Luo Jiu was trying to drain Wang Chao’s brainpower in a grueling war of attrition.

• At 2:2, Wang Chao served a spinless Sneak Long Serve, and Luo Jiu read it and launched a powerful loop.
• Wang Chao counter-attacked the loop, but Luo Jiu anticipated the shot and struck it back too quickly for Wang Chao to react, taking the lead at 3:2.
• Qin Huachang explained that Luo Jiu had studied Wang Chao’s habits and rehearsed the counter-attack as a fixed sequence rather than reacting in the moment.
• Qin Huachang said Wang Chao would adjust his play after seeing the tactic, but those adjustments would consume brainpower during the match.
• He Jingping and Sun Tianlong concluded that Luo Jiu had no clear way to defeat Wang Chao directly and was aiming to outlast him in a war of attrition.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu tested each other’s tactics in a fiercely calculated match, with Luo Jiu taking an early lead by anticipating Wang Chao’s attacks. Wang Chao tied the score at 4:4, leaving both senior and junior brothers ready to test each other’s fundamental skills.

• Wang Chao unleashed an explosive over-the-table flick, but Luo Jiu guessed the attack and thrust his racket forward to make it 4:2.
• Luo Jiu served long, and Wang Chao power-looped repeatedly until Luo Jiu’s return went off the table, bringing the score to 3:4.
• Luo Jiu gambled on another fast thrust against Wang Chao’s power loop, but missed as Wang Chao tied the score at 4:4.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu recognized that their earlier tactical tests had ended and prepared to battle through their fundamental skills.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu settled into long, technically even rallies, while Wang Chao secretly used the conventional play to rest and drain Luo Jiu’s focus. Luo Jiu won the first game 11–6, but his growing fear of losing and the pressure of his last chance left his mental state wavering as the match continued.

• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu traded a twenty-seven-shot rally before Luo Jiu found an opening and took a 5–4 lead.
• Luo Jiu won another long rally and continued scoring through six similar exchanges, bringing the score to 10–4.
• Sun Tianlong and He Jingping recognized that Wang Chao was resting while Luo Jiu was exhausting himself by guarding against a comeback.
• Wang Chao’s deliberate losses made Luo Jiu increasingly anxious, while Wang Chao remained calm and used the rallies to conserve his attention.
• Luo Jiu took the first game 11–6 after Wang Chao won two points at game point, exposing a lapse in Luo Jiu’s composure.
• He Jingping explained that Luo Jiu felt unable to lose because this was likely his last chance, while Sun Tianlong warned that fear of defeat could undermine his play.

In the second game, Luo Jiu recognized Wang Chao’s attempt to unsettle him with high-toss serves and chose to give up points rather than reveal more about his reads. Luo Jiu won 11–6, leaving Wang Chao’s planned serving tactics exposed before the next game.

• Luo Jiu stayed composed as Wang Chao trailed, and the score reached 4:10 for the second game in a row.
• Wang Chao used a high-toss serve with heavy sidespin, then followed with powerful attacks to take two points, but Luo Jiu deliberately let the shots go.
• Wang Chao tried another high toss and revealed a second serve variation, while Luo Jiu again chose not to save a difficult shot, bringing the score to 6:10.
• Qin Huachang explained that Wang Chao had exposed serving tactics meant for the next game, allowing Luo Jiu to study them during the break.
• Luo Jiu served, and Wang Chao let the ball go rather than reveal more; Luo Jiu won the game 11:6.

Wang Chao and Luo Jiu fought through a tense third game, with their serves and precise attacks turning the score into a war of mental and physical endurance. After Luo Jiu tied the game at 2:2, Wang Chao prepared to use his serving advantage to take control.

• During the break, Wang Chao and Luo Jiu considered how to counter each other but found no new strategy and returned to the table for the third game.
• Wang Chao used high-toss serves and violent in-table flicks to take a 2:0 lead.
• After a long short-game exchange and six loop rallies, Luo Jiu used a difficult sideslice to set up three power loops and score, making it 2:1.
• Luo Jiu repeated a sideslice-and-ram tactic to score again and tie the game at 2:2.
• Wang Chao recognized that his serve gave him several attacking options and began the next point determined to stay alert and regain the lead.

Wang Chao defeated Luo Jiu in the third and fourth games, tying their match at 2:2 as both players struggled with fatigue. Qin Huachang concluded that Wang Chao was stronger and predicted that Luo Jiu would lose because age had drained the energy he needed to sustain his early momentum.

• Wang Chao won the third game 11:7 after Luo Jiu repeatedly stalled to rest, and Wang Chao's final unforced error revealed that he was also tiring.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu traded leads through the fourth game as fatigue made their play more erratic, reaching 10:10.
• Luo Jiu lost a long rally, then Wang Chao won the next point to take the fourth game 12:10 and tie the match at 2:2.
• Qin Huachang declared that Wang Chao had won and reasoned that Luo Jiu's age and fading stamina would prevent him from sustaining his early advantage.

Wang Chao defeated Luo Jiu 4:2 to win his first World Table Tennis Championships title after realizing his senior brother was using the final two games to train him against Sun Tianlong’s backhand style. The chapter ended with Luo Jiu asking the newly crowned champion to sing a song of thanks, leaving Wang Chao speechless.

• Wang Chao recalled Luo Jiu’s joking offer to give him a gold medal if he threw the final, then remembered Luo Jiu’s late-night message insisting he play honestly.
• Luo Jiu switched his racket rubbers in the fifth game, and Wang Chao realized he was imitating Sun Tianlong and giving him a chance to practice attacking that style.
• Wang Chao and Luo Jiu traded long rallies focused on Luo Jiu’s backhand, with their score reaching 11:11 as the crowd recognized the resemblance to Wang Chao’s earlier matches against Sun Tianlong.
• Luo Jiu continued serving as Wang Chao’s sparring partner, hoping his junior brother would gain the skill and confidence to defeat Sun Tianlong.
• Wang Chao beat Luo Jiu 4:2 to claim his first World Table Tennis Championships title, while spectators accepted the practice-like finish of the final.
• Wang Chao thanked Luo Jiu during the post-match interview, and Luo Jiu asked him to sing a song called “thank you,” leaving Wang Chao with his mouth slightly open.

After the World Table Tennis Championships, Luo Jiu delayed returning to Jiangcheng City while he gathered courage to propose to Fan Xiaoxian. She accepted, then told him her family was waiting for him to make a proper proposal.

• Luo Jiu gave up competing in the Peacock Country Open and asked Wang Chao to wait several days so they could travel back together.
• Wang Chao trained with Tang Yuanyuan, who blamed herself for their mixed-doubles loss and vowed to defeat Zhen Jing.
• Luo Jiu accompanied Wang Chao to the Spade Q base, where Fan Xiaoxian embraced him and accepted his marriage proposal.
• Fan Xiaoxian told Luo Jiu she knew about his days away from training and had heard from Coach He, then urged him to stop worrying everyone.
• Fan Xiaoxian took Luo Jiu to meet her relatives, who had gathered to await his formal proposal.

After Luo Jiu formally asked Fan Xiaoxian’s family for her hand, their kindness renewed his determination to pursue an Olympic championship. Hook sought refuge from Luo Jiu’s relentless training at Wang Chao’s team base, while the two rival teams’ owners began discussing a possible family connection of their own.

• Luo Jiu visited the Fan family with his parents, Wang Bo, and Geng Shuai to formally ask for Fan Xiaoxian’s hand, then returned from the visit energized and ready to train.
• Luo Jiu dragged Wang Chao into an early-morning sparring session and declared that he intended to win the Olympics, crediting Hook as a valuable training partner.
• Hook asked Wang Chao to train with Wu Li and the others because Luo Jiu had become too fierce, then moved into Black Spade Q’s training base for three days.
• Wang Chao, Wu Li, Geng Shuai, and Gao Ming overheard Hook refuse Luo Jiu’s demand to return, while the two teams’ owners lamented how their city rivals had become entangled.
• Fan Xiaofan and the Jiangcheng University Team’s owner met for drinks, decided their teams were practically one family, and the owner offered to introduce Fan Xiaofan to his daughter.

Spade Q improved through a run of Super League matches as Wang Chao trained Wu Li and built their doubles partnership, while Jiangcheng University Team stunned the reigning champions. Spade Q’s hard-fought loss to Imperial Capital Panlong showed that Wu Li had become a serious threat and that the club was now an upper-middle-tier team.

• Spade Q beat Shandong Province Power Club 3–1 after Wang Chao won singles and doubles and Wu Li swept his singles opponent, renewing attention on Wu Li’s “Hundred Refinements” talent.
• Spade Q edged Lu Province Weiqiao Club 3–2, and Wang Chao intensified Wu Li’s training so he could help secure future victories.
• Jiangcheng University Team swept Magic City Fire Phoenix Club 3–0, with Hook and Luo Jiu winning singles and Luo Jiu also taking doubles with Wang Bo.
• Wang Chao explained to Luo Jiu that he was developing Wu Li as his future men’s doubles partner and training to compete in three events.
• Spade Q lost 3–2 to Imperial Capital Panlong after Wang Chao defeated Zhu Ding and Wang Chao and Wu Li swept doubles, while Geng Shuai and Wu Li lost their singles matches.
• Wu Li took a game from Xiao Fei by adapting to his Great Python Turn, demonstrating his rapid improvement and helping establish Spade Q as an upper-middle-tier team.

Spade Q faced Magic City Fire Phoenix, where Wang Chao crushed Bai Feng and Wu Li staged a remarkable comeback to defeat him 4:3. Wu Li’s breakthrough earned him national-team attention, and Wang Chao planned for him to join the team next spring under Sun Tianlong’s guidance.

• Jiangcheng University defeated Imperial Capital Panlong after previously crushing Magic City Fire Phoenix, while Luo Jiu and Hook continued their undefeated runs and competed for MVP honors.
• Wang Chao played first singles against Magic City Fire Phoenix and defeated Bai Feng 4:0, including an 11:0 shutout in the final game.
• Geng Shuai lost his singles match, then partnered with Wu Li in a doubles loss, leaving Spade Q trailing 1:2 before Wang Chao won the fourth match.
• Wu Li overcame Bai Feng’s powerful attacks and won the deciding match 4:3, stunning the table-tennis world and leaving Bai Feng visibly shaken.
• Cai Guodong called Wang Chao about Wu Li joining the national team, and Wang Chao said Wu Li would come next spring and train under Sun Tianlong.
• Fan Xiaofan worried that Spade Q would struggle or face relegation if Wu Li left for the national team.

As the Olympic Games approached, Imperial Capital New City dominated the Table Tennis First Division, while the world’s top players rested and lesser-known competitors claimed the final Opens. Black Spade Q lost its last Super League match before the break, and the China Table Tennis team departed for Mexico City, where an old man quietly urged Wang Chao to complete the Grand Slam.

• Imperial Capital New City, strengthened by the returns of Lin Zijun and Liang Kunpeng, swept its way through the Table Tennis First Division and reached first place.
• With leading players absent, Lu Feiyang, Zhang Benkuang, and Arul won the men’s singles titles at the Dubai, Singapore, and Kimchi Country Opens, while Kuai Wan beat Tang Yuanyuan 4:0 and Tang later took comfort from Wang Chao’s advice.
• Sun Tianlong returned for Liaoning Province Zhonggang’s final Super League match before the Olympic break, and he and Wang Chao agreed to avoid facing each other.
• Wang Chao won his singles match, but Qi Hao beat Wu Li 4:1 in the deciding match, giving Liaoning Province Zhonggang a 3:2 victory over Black Spade Q.
• The table tennis leagues and international events paused as the China Table Tennis team left for Mexico City ahead of the November 30 Olympic opening ceremony.
• An old man swept the empty China Table Tennis base and reflected that his perfect attendance and gold medals were nearly complete before urging Wang Chao to achieve the Grand Slam.

The Chinese table tennis team settled its Olympic roster and doubles pairings in Mexico City as Wang Chao confronted his fears about his past life and found peace with his place in the present. He entered the Games prepared to compete hard without letting victory or defeat define him.

• The Chinese coaching staff selected Jin Ling, Liu Wen, Shen Sha, and Tang Yuanyuan for the women's roster after Shen Sha beat Wang Yu in a deciding internal match, while Sun Tianlong, Luo Jiu, Wang Chao, and Fan Xiaodong made the men's roster.
• Sun Tianlong and Luo Jiu were paired for Men's Doubles, while Liu Wen and Shen Sha formed the Women's Doubles pair; Jin Ling chose to focus on singles.
• Wang Chao worried that the Olympic schedule might limit his chances to pursue a Grand Slam and wondered whether he should face Sun Tianlong or Luo Jiu in a final.
• After confirming the schedule in the Olympic Village, Wang Chao reflected on his fears and relationships, accepted that this world was real, and resolved to play his best without obsessing over results.
• Old Qin woke after sneezing several times, took cold medicine, and blamed the weather.